Hi Group,

Just wondering how many of you are operating as a non-profit for your studios (not for companies - just for schools)

benefits? disadvantages?

thanks!

I co-operate a 501c3 non-profit studio, we have been open since 1998. I came on board in 2001 and run the business with a good friend of mine. She is Artistic Director and I am the School Administrator. The benefits are many, mostly being able to help disadvantaged kids to dance and share the passion and joy of dance. We worked for many years with no pay, Laura and I are paid now but but not much more than minimum wage. We work on a salary. There are days when we wonder what the heck were we thinking ?? but the dream of why to go non-profit was more important than the money.

We've had some hard years, we're still a small studio, average of 105 kids per year in a small town where there are 5 studios. Our teachers are volunteers paid in free lessons, free training, costumes at cost. It's really hard sometimes, we need a new hiphop teacher but can't pay. We are in the process for looking into grants to help support our scholarship kids. We receive donations from community members. Other than that, we're just an ordinary dance studio dealing with the same as everyone else.

We are really fortunate that our board of directors is great, they are very supportive and don't try to micromanage. We've done this for so long it's hard not to have a sense of ownership over the business but it is a non-proft and technically "isn't ours" but we are very proud of where we've brought to it over the years. I started out as a just a dance mom but now realize this is my dream job. I have ate, slept and breathed dance for almost 10 years and wouldn't have it any other way.